Search results for ""deacon blue""
single track, wildcard
Wildcard (week 20):
Wildcard (week 20):
Deacon Blue – People Come First
Deacon Blue is one of my all-time favourite bands. I’ve been following them ever since their debut single Dignity, back in 1987. Since then, their music has been the soundtrack of my radio career, which lasted for 30 years. When I stopped, in 2017, Deacon Blue continued, and in 2025 the Glasgow band celebrates it 40th anniversary.
While trying different styles and angles over the years, they always stayed true to their sophisticated pop roots. By chance one of my favourite genres. Over the years, they produced way more classics than the ones that reached the charts. As a consequence, their live shows turned into greatest hits packages long ago. Still, they continue to add new classics to their repertoire.
Most recent example: People Come First. I already recommended it here as a stand-out track when they released their 11th album The Great Western Road last March. Instead of ripping their fans off by saving bonus tracks for a future ‘anniversary edition’, they rewarded their true devotees by putting out a limited edition of the album on day one. It added six previously unreleased tracks to the standard release. Glory to them!
But back to People Come First now… As far as the music is concerned, it’s a timeless track. Delightful how Lorraine McIntosh’s angelic vocals perfectly compliment Ricky Ross’ immediately recognizable voice. Lyrically however, it’s a song that’s very much rooted in the present.
The band say about the tune: “The song was inspired by Ricky seeing the late American painter Alice Neel’s People Come First exhibition in San Francisco. It reminded him that the same mantra has always been at the heart of everything Deacon Blue do. This song is for right now, and a reminder that more than ever, people should come first.”
In a classic case of putting my money where my mouth is, People Come First by Deacon Blue is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. It will be prominently displayed at the top of the blog for an entire week.
More Deacon Blue @ Carte Blanche Music
Follow Deacon Blue on Facebook | Instagram | B | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2025 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.
single track, wildcard
Wildcard (week 47):
Wildcard (week 47):
Deacon Blue – City Of Love
Since their classic introductory album Raintown, Deacon Blue boasted 7 million album sales, two UK number one albums and 14 hit singles. The Scottish sophisticated pop band are inseparably linked to my former Carte Blanche radio show. Their debut single Dignity was one of the first songs I played in my first broadcast in 1987, while Gone was a logical choice for the very last song I ever played on the radio at the end of 2016.
Almost exactly three years on, Ricky Ross, Lorraine McIntosh and their lovely band are back once again. Not only announcing their largest tour ever, but a new album as well. City Of Love (due for release on 6 March 2020) is their tenth studio long-player. It contains 11 songs with the same theme: even in the corners of a town or a life where no light falls, hope can prevail.
The album’s title track is the band’s new single. An instantly recognizable Deacon Blue song with driving strings, Ross’s rasping voice and McIntosh’s angelic backing vocals. A band on top of their game!
City Of Love is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
Recommended as well:
Deacon Blue – Gone
In the Wildcards 2019 playlist you can find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.
single track, wildcard
Deacon Blue – Gone
Deacon Blue – Gone
I’ve been making radio shows for nearly 30 years and Carte Blanche Music is the follow-up to that adventure. Deacon Blue’s career has followed the exact same lines as my radio career. Their first single in the Netherlands, Dignity, was ‘record of the week’ (‘Remschijf’ at the time, ‘Wildcard’ nowadays) in my second radio show, dated 21 June 1987. Also, Deacon Blue has been away for a few years, like I have, but came back strongly (which I won’t claim for myself 😉 ).
In 2016 the band released their album Believers and Gone was my favourite album track. After I announced my retirement from radio, that track appeared to me to be the ideal final song, given its title and lyrics. (Of course I could also have played their Fellow Hoodlums track Closing Time, but Carte Blanche Radio was about new music only, just like this blog).
When I learned, two weeks ago, that Gone was about to become Deacon Blue’s new single, I made up my mind… This song would be the perfect way to close the circle! It became my last ‘record of the week’ and the very last record on my last show. Case closed 😉 .
And now it only seems appropriate to open this blog by drawing your attention to this great pop track. Sophisticated pop, to be exact. The genre they handled so well throughout their career and which I love so much. This is the ‘live’ video…
werner's weekly
Werner’s Weekly (week 22)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your guide to the best new music, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Pulp – Got To Have Love
(Wildcard this week) - Deacon Blue – People Come First (Wildcard last week)
- Richard Ashcroft – Lover
- Empress Of – Little Secret (from TV series ‘The Buccaneers S2’)
- Home Counties – Spain
- Jung – Tom Cruisin’
- Nicklas Sahl – Trampoline
Listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
single track, wildcard
Wildcard (week 21):
Wildcard (week 21):
Pulp – Got To Have Love
The last decade or so, music from the 1980s has been as popular as… well, 40 years ago. It inspired new generations of artists and fashion designers, many ‘80s acts reformed and ‘80s parties sold out. It looks like the same is about to happen for the 1990s. This already shows in music, with acts that were popular in the ‘90s gaining new momentum. To name only one recent example: the new album by Deacon Blue, who held the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard last week, entered the UK Charts at the highest position since their 1991 album Fellow Hoodlums.
This week, Richard Ashcroft (best-known as the frontman of The Verve) made a glorious comeback with his new single Lover, and Pulp released new music as well. Mind you, the latter band was formed in 1978 already by the then 15-year-old Jarvis Cocker. But it took them until 1995 to break through big time with their single Common People. Check its brilliant B-side Underwear as well, by the way. Hits like Sorted For E’s & Wizz/Mis-Shapes, Disco 2000, Something Changed and Help The Aged quickly followed. After the latter however, they never reached the Top 10 again. In 2002, a 9-year hiatus followed.
After a first reunion in 2011, Pulp came back together again in 2022. Initially for a reunion tour, where they debuted a number of new songs. Last April, they released their first new single in a long time, Spike Island. But in my ears, they really hit the jackpot again with their brand-new track Got To Have Love. That is to say, it’s not really brand-new, for the band already recorded demos of it in 1999 and 2000. This may explain why it sounds like a trademark Pulp song, including a typical Jarvis Cocker parlando in the middle.
“It’s a slightly hysterical song that tries to talk about love as I see it now”, the singer reveals of the track, which seems destined for immediate live anthem status when the band kick off their UK & Ireland Arena tour in June. On the 6th of that month, Pulp will release More, their first album in almost 24 years.
Got To Have Love by Pulp is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. It will be prominently displayed at the top of the blog for an entire week.
Follow Pulp on Facebook | Instagram | B | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2025 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.
werner's weekly
Werner’s Weekly (week 21)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your guide to the best new music, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Deacon Blue – People Come First (Wildcard this week)
- Solo – Do It All Again
(Wildcard last week) - Girl Ultra feat. Chromeo & Empress Of – Tomás
- Janna – She Knows Me Now (The Silent Song)
- Red Rum Club – American Nights And English Mornings
- Sjana Rut – Game Over
- Gizmo Varillas – Still Holdin’ On [Radio Mix]
Listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
playlist
Additions to the Carte Blanche Music playlist (week 20)
Not all, but only the best new music. Added to the playlist this week (alphabetically):
- Bussol – Cae De Tus Manos
indie | flamenco | jazz - Deacon Blue – People Come First indie | pop
- Girl Ultra feat. Chromeo & Empress Of – Tomás funk | indie | pop
- Janna – She Knows Me Now (The Silent Song) indie | melancholic | pop
- Judith – Your Opinion
folk | pop - Lézard – Pop Pop Pop Pop Pop Pop Pop Stop indie | pop | rock
- Red Rum Club – American Nights And English Mornings indie | pop | rock
- Sjana Rut – Game Over electronic | indie | pop
- Gizmo Varillas – Still Holdin’ On [Radio Mix] indie | pop
- Lola Young – One Thing pop
Check them all in the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist.
Add it to your library (click ‘+’) to hear the best new music first.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
playlist
Additions to the Carte Blanche Music playlist (week 15)
Especially in an impressively massive release week like this one, we don’t feature all, but only the best new music. Added to the playlist this week (alphabetically):
- Anouk – Set This Thing On Fire rock
- Bea & Her Business – Rich pop
- The Beaches – Last Girls At The Party indie | pop | rock
- Dancer – Heart Attack Now
indie | pop | rock - Deacon Blue – Wait On Me indie | pop
- Deep Thrills – She’s On! indie | pop | rock
- Garbage – There’s No Future In Optimism indie | pop | rock
- Grouplove – Colours [Live] indie | live | rock
- Juno – Hot And Talking indie | pop
- Leire Martinez – Mi Nombre electronic | pop
- Navigate – Feel This Way indie | rock
- Lildami & Miki Núñez feat. Black Music Big Band – El Camí indie | pop
- Tyne-James Organ – Worth My Time pop
- CJ Pandit – Wouldn’t It Be Cool indie | pop
- Theresa Rex – Breaking Up The Band electronic | indie | pop
- Seaside – Sick indie | rock
- Guy Sebastian – Maybe pop
- The Sherlocks – Everything Must Make Sense indie | rock
- Stereolab – Aerial Troubles electronic | indie | pop
- Amber Van Day – Double Yellow indie | pop | rock
Check them all in the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist.
Add it to your library (click ‘+’) to hear the best new music first.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
werner's weekly
Werner’s Weekly (week 14)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your guide to the best new music, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Jea Mira – Deja Vu
(Wildcard this week) - Naytiive – Push On That Pedal (Wildcard last week)
- Chitra – Close Proximity
- Deacon Blue – People Come First (album track)
- In Waves – Ghost Town
- Reti – Shake
- Self Esteem – It’s Not Now, It’s Soon
Listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
playlist
Additions to the Carte Blanche Music playlist (week 13)
Not all, but only the best new music. Added to the playlist this week (alphabetically):
- Black Honey – Psycho indie | pop
- Chitra – Close Proximity indie | pop
- Deacon Blue – People Come First (album track) indie | pop
- In Waves – Ghost Town indie | pop
- Frank Joshua – Fertile Mind indie | pop
- Jea Mira – Deja Vu indie | pop
- Reti – Shake disco | funk | indie
- Self Esteem – It’s Not Now, It’s Soon pop
- TJE – Always Hardening indie | melancholic | pop | trip hop
- Peter Verdell & Katie Hargrove – Breathe It In electronic | indie | melancholic | pop
- Abz Winter – I’m Tired Of You indie | rock
Check them all in the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist.
Add it to your library (click ‘+’) to hear the best new music first.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
